


Patterns

by helloshepard



Series: what we owe to each other [2]
Category: Marvel, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Bodysharing, Developing Relationship, M/M, Other, Post-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 21:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16228010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloshepard/pseuds/helloshepard
Summary: Eddie, Venom, and the weekend.





	Patterns

**Author's Note:**

> If I had a better computer, I'd be writing these even faster. At least this way, I kinda need to proofread?  
> Feedback always appreciated.

Far more quickly than Eddie realizes, they’ve settled into a routine. Sure, it’s a routine punctuated with the occasional late night journey to Bayview or Golden Gate Park, but it’s a _routine._ A their-thing.

Venom never sleeps, and he’s usually the one dragging their body out of bed in the morning, far earlier than Eddie is used to. Too many times he’s woken up in in the bathroom, pieces of raw burger dribbling out of his mouth.

“Come on, man.” Eddie says, as the taste catches up with him. He feels Venom protest as he spits out the remains of the hamburger. “At least cook it first!”

****Cook?** **

“Yeah. You know, with the stove, makes it taste so much better? And won’t kill me?”

Venom hisses.

“Or the microwave! That’s just as good. And less fire-y.”

Venom hisses again, teeth grazing the edge of Eddie’s collar.

****We would never let this dead food hurt you.** **

Eddie’s hand paws at the remains of the meat, and Eddie swats it away.

“Stop it.”

Eddie drags them both back to the kitchen.

Venom slinks back into Eddie’s mind, but makes its presence _very_ known as the hair on the back of his neck stands up. Venom’s attention turns to the television, and it bristles, growling in his ear.

Eddie half-turns to see what it is.

****Your planet’s obsession with fire is concerning.** **

“Well, you know.” Eddie shrugs. “What doesn’t kill you, all that.”

He waffles at the counter for a moment, body stuck between turning to stare at the television, and the simple act of opening the fridge to find some real breakfast.

****Food.** **

“Yeah, I know.” Eddie wins the brief power struggle, tugs open the door. Nothing looks appetizing to _him _,__ although Venom is eyeing the remains of the raw meat and making both their mouths water. Eddie checks his watch, and Venom sniffs, irritated.

“Anyway, I don’t see why you’re getting me up so early.” Eddie rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t even work today!”

 ** **I was bored.**** The symbiote admits. ****And hungry.****

“I’m getting you Netflix for Christmas,” Eddie says.

Venom mulls the suggestion over in his mind,

****How does that taste?** **

* * *

 

Eventually, they get out the door. _Clothes_ are a frequent source of contention. Though logically, Eddie knows the sensation of fabric irritates the symbiote, Venom has been torn off him too many times to want to risk running around town naked.

“So I’m keeping my clothes on, okay?” he says without thinking. A pedestrian crosses the street, all too eager to get away from him.

Venom laughs. Eddie can’t feel him now, exactly, but he’s there, most likely spread throughout Eddie’s body. He’s getting better at pinpointing where the symbiote is lurking--the back of his neck is the most popular spot, followed closely by a space in his chest just below the heart. The sappy part of his brain wants to think it’s Venom’s way of protecting him, guarding the place that had nearly ended both their lives. There isn’t even a scar to mark the occasion: just a hole in Eddie’s favorite hoodie and too many nights waking up in a cold sweat.

Venom falls silent, leaving Eddie alone with his thoughts. He walks past Mrs. Chen’s, past the bars and past the restaurants. If Eddie focuses, tries really hard, he can get a glimpse of whatever Venom is thinking about. Right now it’s a play-by-play of the fight they’d broken up last night, and yeah they’d done _great _,__ but wasn’t it a little too early to be gloating?

Maybe not. Venom sends a cold rush of adrenaline down Eddie’s spine, and Eddie picks up the pace.

They end up at the bridge. Right now it’s crowded with tourists, trying to get the perfect photo for their Instagram or Twitter or whatever. After being fired, Eddie had toyed with the idea of taking his show straight to the viewers via YouTube and Daily Motion and Vemo, but had quickly learned his hands are not steady enough for camera work, never mind fine editing.

 ** **The bridge.**** Venom is saying. ****Let’s climb it.****

“Let’s not.” Eddie mutters, drawing more than a few concerned glances. Eddie drags them away from the edge, from the too-tempting steel cables.

Venom slinks back his spot in Eddie’s chest, annoyed.

“Look,” Eddie says. “I get you like heights, the view, all that. But maybe we shouldn’t be climbing up there in the middle of the day?”

In response, Venom pushes images into Eddie’s mind, and his stomach flips uncomfortably.

“If you wanna start free-climbing you’re gonna need to find a new host, buddy.”

Venom whines, a low, tonal sound in the back of Eddie’s mind.

 ****But I like** ** **_**you** ** _,_ ** _ ** ****Eddie.** **

Eddie isn’t in the mood to ponder the meanings of _that _,__ so he brushes it off.

“And _Eddie_ doesn’t like heights.”

****I would never let anything happen to you.** **

“I know.” Eddie swallows his discomfort, pushes his own memory of tumbling off the Network Building into Venom’s mind.

 ** **Mm.**** Venom concedes the argument. ****But I get to take us back to our apartment.****

“Fine.”

See, Eddie thinks. _Compromise _.__

Venom wraps himself around Eddie’s chest. Eddie doesn’t check under his shirt to see if the symbiote has manifested himself, but he can feel the pressure all the same. It feels almost like a hug.

And now Eddie’s thinking about the last time he’s had a hug. Well, he can’t _remember_ the last time he’d had a hug, which is _sad_.

****You want a hug?** **

“No! Not from you!”

Venom scoffs, and teeth poke out to nibble on Eddie’s collar.

****But it tastes so good, Eddie.** **

“Say what now?”

The symbiote huffs, butts his head against Eddie’s jaw, then retreats as a cyclist zooms past.

 ****The chemicals in human brains.** ** **_**Delicious** ** _._ ** _ **

_Ah _.__ Eddie’s stupid, but he’s not that stupid. “You survive off feelings.”

****Chemicals.** **

“Same thing.”

 ** **No.**** Venom slithers up to the back of Eddie’s skull, directs them to an alley. Sits Eddie on a trash can. Eddie guesses it’s time for a crash course in symbiote biology, or maybe Venom is just _hoping_ someone will come by to mug them.

 ** **Glutamate. Dopamine. Cortisol.**** ** **Phenethylamine**** ** **.**** Venom draws the each letter of the words out, as if he’s savoring the taste of a particularly delicious steak.

Steak. Eddie’s mouth starts watering. Venom rumbles his agreement and lets Eddie stand. Eddie feels warmth on the back of his neck, and it takes him a minute to realize Venom is _licking_ him.

“Stop that.”

He swats at his neck, but Venom easily catches his hand and mouths it far too gently for someone with that many teeth.

“Yeah, okay, I get it.” Venom releases Eddie’s hand. It’s covered with drool. Great. “You’re hungry.”

****Gold star for Eddie!** **

Eddie can only shake his head.

* * *

 

Two robberies later, Venom is _slightly_ less hungry than before (he’s stopped licking Eddie, so that’s something). The sun is setting, and they’re taking the long way back to the apartment.

****Dessert.** **

Eddie groans.

“Come on man!” He ignores a concerned onlooker and ducks into a side street. “How about some chocolate instead?”

****That will do.** **

_“Thank you.”_ They stop in a grocery store and buy two family-sized bags of Halloween candy. Eddie guesses it’ll last till they get home. They walk slowly, Eddie shoving handfuls of candy into his mouth as Venom hums happily. He’s practically purring, and his happiness is is compounded when Eddie sighs, shoves the remains of the candy into his jacket, and holds out his hands.

“Up we go.”

****Copy!** **

Before Eddie can roll his eyes, he’s enveloped in symbiote goo, leaping crisscross from his building to the adjacent one and back. Maybe it’s the sugar rush--

 _ ** **Phenethylamine****_ ** _ ** _,_**_** Venom interrupts, still unbearably smug. ****The most delicious snack.****

 _Yeah _,_ yeah _.__  

His new apartment is higher up than Eddie would prefer, but Venom likes it, and Venom at least has the courtesy to detach when he’s on the balcony. Otherwise, Eddie is more than content to draw the curtains and pretend he’s safe on the ground floor. Sure, Venom detaching is uncomfortable, leaving Eddie alone with only his thoughts for company, even though Venom is never more than a few feet away and always returns quickly--more quickly each time, actually, and Eddie isn’t sure what to think about that either.

 ** **That assumes you think.**** They vault up to the balcony. ****I told you. I like you.****

“Yeah…ah, what does that mean, exactly?” Venom slides off Eddie’s jacket and follows him into the living room. He’s close enough to touch, but Eddie can’t hear what he’s thinking, and it’s more frustrating than he’d like to admit.

 ** **“You**** ** _ ** _are_**_** ** **a loser.”**** Venom says, forming an inky black pool on the couch. Eddie flops next to the symbiote and switches on the television. They’ve got a basic cable plan, meaning Venom has only about fifty channels to watch. Eddie shakes his head as the symbiote quickly selects the only sitcom currently playing. ****“Like Sam.”****

“Who?”

Venom gestures to the screen, where a man is pouring drinks.

“You’re still not answering my question.”

Venom growls, though there’s no irritation behind it. He slides over to Eddie’s side of the couch, and Eddie nearly gasps as Venom makes contact with his skin, as backlogged sensations rush into his mind in a blur.

Warmth washes over him. The sun on a windy day. Chocolate melting in their mouth. Venom settles in a new place, spreading himself over Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie leans back, lets his eyes close as Venom watches his stupid sitcoms, idly pushing commentary in Eddie’s direction.

 ** **Hug.**** Venom finally says, as if that’s supposed to explain anything.

And, Eddie realizes, somehow it _does _.__  


End file.
